One Thirst - Bethel Church

Keith Green - Make My Life A Prayer To You (live)

Kara Ferris Interview #1 | Radio | Joni and Friends

Kara Ferris Interview #1 | Radio | Joni and Friends

Amazing Perfect Peace

You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is set on you because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock...Isaiah 26:3-4

Trusting in God is not only a doctrine or a way of thinking. There is a rest of heart that God alone can give us that no money can buy. There is an amazing peace of God that will cost us both everything and nothing. Nothing, because God gives it freely at the cross of Jesus Christ. Everything, because to follow the Savior will mean leaving behind trusting in our own strength. . Anything less than abandoning all for Jesus is just religion. Religion will only give us the thin veneer of peace. That kind of temporary peace melts away at the very first sign of danger. God's peace enters deep and cradles us during our sleepless nights and in the middle of pressure, confusion, or attacks. God is with us. It is His promise. He is there waiting for us to rest our mind on Him. Nothing else we have will last. Everything else we try to hold on to in life slips away - Jesus remains! He is waiting for us to rest in Him  He is our Everlasting Rock. Jesus is the Rock of Ages!

Chris Tomlin - How Great Is Our God (World Edition)

Praising God at all times!

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised....Psalm 113:3

Years ago we had a chorus that used this Psalm. Until today, I had never stopped to think much about what this meant when we sang those words. I had always just thought that we simply needed to praise God all day long, every day. Then tonight the Holy Spirit began to open a window in my heart, and suddenly I began to see a picture of my life. You see God has given each of us an amazing chance in life, no matter how long or how short it is meant to be. From our earliest days when we just begin to speak, we can begin to praise the name of the Lord. He can be precious to us or we can choose to neglect him. Jesus continues calling us and calling again, as our sun rises and strengthens to noon-day. Some of us come in the morning, some come in the early afternoon and some not until the shadows begin to lengthen and our sun is starting to set. Yet whatever has happened before, God is still looking for the opportunity today to enter into the rest of our life. He wants to come and give us life for however many moments that are still to be written in our own stories. He is still worthy. His name is still to be praised at where ever we are. God is delighted with early morning praise formed on the lips of children. God is honored by praise that rises from tired and burdened young people who are carrying the weight of life on their shoulders. God is gentle and accepting of quieter praise from the hearts of runners with tired legs, who are nearing the end of the race. God's name is always to be praised. there is no limit to what He counts as  acceptable and pleasing praise. From the rising of the sun, to the place where it sets, the Name of the Lord is to be praised!!

Christmas Thoughts

     Christmas is already rushing by and in the quiet moments of this day it is as if we are standing on a mountain top. Behind us lie all the peaks and deep crevasses of the year that has past. They sit in the shadow of the summit of where we are resting, strangely distant and without a sound of all the struggles of the passage. Ahead, beyond the sunrise, are new and mysterious mountain ranges of what might be in the year God is to give us. Jesus told us to take no thought for the worries of tomorrow, because today there are enough troubles for us to battle. Yet there are these precious moments when with His help we can see through Heaven's windows and catch a glimpse of God's plans.

Where we are today and whatever victories and defeats we have come through till now, we must trust  next year's journey to God. He has promised to be with us so that we would never need to be afraid.

  Hebrews 13:6 The Lord is my helper so I will have no fear, what can mere people do to me? 

What lies behind the clouds is known to God. Whatever adventure, difficulty or blessing will come with the certainty that as we have trusted God, He will also always care for us! Merry Christmas to everyone. God bless you....

Restless

Mandisa - Silent Night

Winter Snow (Feat. Audrey Assad) - Chris Tomlin (Must See)

The Amazing Grace Christmas House - Holdman Christmas

Philippines buries dead, rebuilds after deadly storm

Philippines buries dead, rebuilds after deadly storm

Christmas wish List from Jesus

I found this in a short essay titled "A Letter From Jesus" I actually saw this last year and really liked it and it reminds me of what Christmas really is. Here goes:  

"If you want to give me a present in remembrance of my birth here is my wish list...

1) Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is celebrated, write letters of hope to soldiers far away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell me all the time.
2) Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that some one cares about them.
3) Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him you'll be praying for him and his family this year...
4) Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth and why I came to live down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.
5) Pick someone who has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

Christy Nockels - Angels Lullaby

carry your name - Christy Nockels

Glory In Highest Chris Tomlin Video Christmas Compilation

Simplicity in Worship Part Two

2 Corinthians 11:3 I am afraid that someone may come and corrupt your minds from the simplicity that is in Christ.

The opposite of simplicity is not complexity but pride. There is no greater destroyer of worship than allowing pride to come in. That is because while simplicity and humility bring unity, pride brings division. In simplicity we can see the truth in Jesus Christ. The truth is that together we are His church and only in humble unity can we worship in a way that pleases Him. Simplicity is the doorway to true worship -not just sitting with arms folded waiting for our favorite song orworship leader. When Jesus is honored then we simply gather around him and sit at His feet. Our singing becomes a happy glimpse of our eternity together as His people. We belong together because of Him. Any thoughts or attitudes at those moments and that bring separation, confusion or distraction take the focus off of Jesus and put it on something or someone else. Guarding the simplicity of our hearts in worship is a constant battle, but it is a battle worth winning! Simple pure worship is a vital part of a living and growing church. We need to be watchful that no one steals the spotlight from Jesus.Christ is and must always remain at the center of our worship. Let's keep it simple and just worship Him!

Still My God - Avalon

Jesus is our Strong Tower

Worship is that place with God where we go and nothing that we fear can follow.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower. The righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Notice this person comes running in a time of Battle. Often when we think of people running to God we are thinking of running to him in delight, like children run to the sound of the ice-cream truck.  But this is not the scene here at all. This man is running because he knows that he will be destroyed unless he can get to God's place of protection. There is nothing shameful at all in running to our Father when we are in despair or fear. Despair,discouragement and fear are nothing we can defeat without God's help. That is exactly when we need Jesus. Jesus is God's strong tower. That is the name above every name. Jesus is the name that means- Jehovah  Saves- 

When we worship we are entering in to that strong name of Jesus. Don't wait for the victory days, the smiley days or the carefree moments to come and worship. Jesus is calling out on the field of battle and saying... "Quick! Run in here! You will be safe! I will cover you and defend you. Stop just running. Run to the place of complete safety"
There as we fall on our face before Him Jesus comes. and closes the door behind us. Outside we can still hear the sounds of battle but they are distant. Now in the presence of Jesus we can not only worship, but we can also begin to hear the sound of God's voice. He has been trying to talk to us. He has been speaking in the still small voice, but we could not hear him. Jesus has been in the strong tower waiting for us to run to Him...

Adore Him / Christmas Eve / Kari Jobe

Rose of Bethlehem- Selah (with lyrics)

The Lost Get Found - Britt Nicole

Christmas Memories

Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. Psalm 145:4

Often when we think of mighty acts we remember things like the opening of the Red Sea, Jesus calming the storm or maybe a more recent event like the launching of a space shuttle. By God's measurement the changing of a single human heart is an act of greatest importance. As Christmases come and go and as I get older I am remembering the forces that shaped my own heart and that turned it towards Jesus during the season of Christmas. Here are just a few precious memories that remain like bright candles burning in my heart.
     Mom used to sit with a bowl of freshly popped popcorn and a dish of cranberries. She would string them together with a needle and thread ten popcorn kernels then a cranberry and she would sing the Christmas carols to me. All the Carols I know now by heart I learned there, not from a recording artist,but from Mom!!
     I remember my kindergarten teacher (In public school) bringing us around her feet like little lambs around their shepherdess. The she began to tell us the Christmas story of Jesus being in the manger in Bethlehem. I could almost imagine myself being there in the cold shivering next to the shepherds and looking under the swaddling cloths to see the baby Jesus!
     Our first Christmas together as a couple was simple to the extreme. We had no money to buy a tree or make a dinner until on Christmas Eve when I found a $50 bonus in the pay envelope. That was nearly a week's wages! After supper my wife and I took our little son and raced downtown! We picked out a tree from the few remaining stragglers(It was $5). Then we went to Woolworth's and picked through the leftover ornaments. What an excitement we had as we went home and decorated our tiny apartment. We really gave God thanks for how He had provided us those special joys for Christmas. I don't remember even a single gift either given or received that year, but the golden memories remain etched in my heart forever.
    These simple memories are precious because they point back to a simple memory of the day in Bethlehem 2000 years ago. So when Mary and Joseph came to Bethlehem that afternoon and found no room at the inn it was also a small joy to find a resting place near the cows and donkeys in the stable. Mary had no friends or family near to be with her in her hour of labor. Only Joseph was with her do what he could. So there, in the lonely stable she gave birth, wrapped her son in simple cloths and wearily laid him to rest in the feeding trough of the animals. Then God, who had watched silently all through that night, sent an angel to shepherds who were resting nearby in the fields. They brought that first good news message on that first night to tell the mystery of the birth of Jesus, the Messiah and Lord. Imagine the amazement in Joseph and Mary's minds, as the shepherds came trembling in, telling what they had seen and heard. As they left the Bible tells us that Mary treasured up these memories in her heart keeping them for the day when she could really know their full meaning.
     This Christmas as God gives you quiet fleeting moments when you sense Him working in your life, pause and treasure them in your heart. Let them rest there like on a page in a scrapbook. His amazing plan both for the world and for your life has many pages. Some are pages of busyness and hard work. Some are pages of laughter and friends. Some are pages filled with pain and rejection. On those darker pages when the world has pushed you and pulled you and you don't know where to go don't let despair close the book. With trembling hands open to the pages that remind you of how God came close. Our hope in Him is not a thing of only temporary value. It doesn't depend on our own strength or planning. In fact God has written an amazing ending to the book of our life if we will just be willing to continue reading through pages and chapters of pain. One day the page will turn and there will be the face of Jesus. Then we will understand that rather than being the end it will only be the beginning of the most astonishing chapter of all!

"O Come All Ye Faithful" by Twinkie Clark

The Humility of Christmas

It was just a small low milking barn in North India. I was looking in at 4-5 long horned cows the Pastor was proudly showing me. The smell seemed stronger and the quarters a bit darker and smaller but suddenly I remembered the dark cold mornings long ago, when I woke at 4:30 to milk cows very much like these. It was to a dark and chilly Bethlehem very much like India, that Mary and Joseph had entered quietly one night 2000 years ago. There were no downy soft white sheep, nor spotlessly dressed shepherds as in our American Nativity scenes. The first Christmas came in humility and simplicity. No one knew that anything supernatural was about to happen until God sent angels to tell the shepherds working in a pasture not far away. They were the only ones invited because God wanted ordinary men to celebrate the birth of Jesus. He needed people who knew nothing of temples or priestly sacraments, but who were able to meet with angels. They learned that their village had been chosen for the birth of God's Messiah. They were astonished to hear about God's good will towards men.They came hurrying to the stable and found Jesus wrapped in humble cloth, lying in the manger. Our Father is so amazing in power and yet is so willing to come in the humility of Bethlehem. That is where we will find the gift He has given, the life of His Son!

Mandisa - Angels We Have Heard On High

A Strange Way To Save The World

Toby Mac - This Christmas (lyrics)

I Will Go

Steffany Frizzell ( Bethel Church ) - I Will Exalt

Be Unto Your Name

Pastora Nancy's Amish Christmas Fudge

For our family one of the special Christmas traditions has been Nancy's many Christmas candies. People send back the empty candy tins and buy big bags of chocolate for her to make it again next year!! This is one of the three most popular of her treats. The secret though is not in the recipe but in the love and amazing attention to detail she adds. It is her way of saying, "I love you!" That is what Christmas is all about...












Creamy-Sure Fudge


2/3 cup evaporated milk (small can)
16 regular or 160 miniature marshmallows
1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup coarsely-chopped walnuts ( optional)




Butter a 8X8 inch pan. In a medium saucepan, over low heat, melt the margarine. Stir in the salt, milk, sugar, and lastly the marshmallows.  Try to melt the marshmallows before the mixture comes to a boil, pressing them against the sides of the pan.  Slowly bring the mixture to a boil over a low heat.  Stirring constantly, simmer mixture for 5-6 minutes, or until the sweet smell is almost gone.  The mixture will rise in the pan, then go down.  
Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla, then the chocolate chips.  Stir until chips melt. Lastly, add the nuts. With a rubber spatula, transfer to prepared pan, spread it evenly and allow to cool.  Place in the refrigerator until fully set and hard.  I use a silicone pan which makes it easy to remove the fudge onto a wax paper lined cutting board.  I then cut the fudge into 64 pieces (8 rows horizontally and 8 rows diagonally).  Yields approx. 2 Lbs.

God Amazes Us!

Though God is never surprised I do believe that He loves to amaze us. I was amazed by the beautiful sunrise outside our back door not long ago. It was only there for a moment so I rushed out with the camera to try and capture the beauty. Now, if I am amazed by a sunrise just try to imagine the amazement of the shepherds. They were just doing the work as they had done all their live that night outside of Bethlehem. They were watching their sheep and nothing seemed remarkable at all. Then in a moment when  they were just ready to drift off to sleep, they were amazed. An angel suddenly appeared telling them some very of a child born that night who would be a Savior. The Bible says the glory of the Lord was shining around their field.  Have you ever tried to imagine how it would be to have such a meeting as this. How much they must have needed the angel's first words "Don't be afraid!" What an amazing night! What an amazing life! What an amazing obedience of love at its end on the cross. What an amazing victory Christ has given us at the door of the tomb! Every day God has something that will amaze us right in the middle of the most ordinary things of our lives. He never changes. He still loves to amaze us and we like the shepherds can go on with the ordinary things of  life with hearts full of praise to Him...

"Heaven's Song", Gateway Worship, Song led by Walker Beach

We could change the world - Matt Redman (Worship with lyrics)

Are we Worshiping with Haughty Eyes?

Psalm 131:1 Lord My heart is not proud and my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.

When we go to worship with haughty eyes we really are not seeing anything at all. Our problem is a plank sticking in our eyes called pride. It may take a humiliating experience to allow us to see that and to ask God for his help.One day Jesus told a story about two men who went to the temple to pray (Luke 18:10). One was a Pharisee and the other a despised Tax Collector. Sometimes like that Pharisee we think we are worshiping yet we are not seeing God at all. Like the Pharisee who lifted his eyes and prayed with himself, we are missing out completely.  He never saw God as Holy (He was convinced that he himself was). He never saw his neighbor as God saw and so considered him of no value. He never saw himself and so missed His chance to have his sins forgiven. But the tax collector saw with 20/20 God vision. Though he was standing in the temple, he knew he had a problem that only God could help him with. He never looked up at all but he cried out and God heard him. We do not know if he even noticed the Pharisee praying, though I am sure that the Pharisee hoped to be seen. What mattered to the tax collector was that God would see and hear him, and God answered. O God, deliver us from Haughty eyes today so we can have open hearts and humble eyes to see and worship you!

Donnie MCclurkin e Jota A no Brasil 27-09-2011 Por Getúlio Camargo .mp4